Proton Therapy: Advanced, high tech cancer treatment at Northwest Hospital campus

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) and ProCure Treatment Centers, Inc. (ProCure) this month opened Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Proton Therapy, A ProCure Center in north Seattle. 

Located on UW Medicine’s Northwest Hospital and Medical Center campus, the facility is the only proton therapy center in a seven-state region and the fourth in a nationwide network of proton therapy centers developed by ProCure.

Proton therapy is a next-generation radiation treatment that precisely targets tumors, minimizing radiation to healthy tissue and improving the lives of patients with cancer. Doctors started treating patients at the new center this month.  

Exterior of the building
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Proton therapy is an advanced and highly precise form of radiation treatment. It allows doctors to focus radiation directly into the tumor, minimizing damage to surrounding tissue and the risk of short- and long-term side effects from treatment.

Proton Therapy offered a tour to the public
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Currently available at only eleven centers in the United States, studies have shown proton therapy to be beneficial in treating a broad range of tumors, including those of the brain, central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, head and neck, left breast, lung, and prostate, as well as sarcomas and certain pediatric cancers.

Proton Therapy is high-tech, programmed individually for each patient
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Like other clinical programs at SCCA, the proton center is expected to attract patients nationally and internationally, with the ability to treat about 1,400 proton therapy patients annually. Patients at SCCA Proton Therapy will benefit from the pairing of top cancer experts with the most advanced technology available. SCCA, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, UW Medicine, and Seattle Children's form the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Northwest. 

The center’s doctors are all UW Medicine physicians with expert training on proton therapy administration.

Treatment Room
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

“Proton therapy is the future of radiation oncology and the powerful partnership between SCCA and ProCure reflects our commitment to improving and transforming the lives of patients with cancer,” said Annika Andrews, president of SCCA Proton Therapy, A Procure Center. 

“Bringing this promising treatment to the Northwest, which more than 80,000 patients have received worldwide, allows our patients to receive the best care available while staying close to home.”